Engagement How do you capture ideas for your forum?

[Cpvr]

How do you capture those sparks of inspiration for your forum? Do you have a dedicated folder for ideas, a bookmarks collection, or maybe a trusty Notepad file on your desktop?


What are your go-to methods for organizing and storing those creative thoughts that keep your forum fresh and engaging?

 

[Cory]

I often feel like I've exhausted most ideas for my board. Thankfully, some of my members have been very contributive in providing feedback and suggestions I could implement to improve the forum. So, at this point, I feel I highly depend on feedback from my user base to capture new ideas for my board.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I have a section on my forum called Shawn's Office. I keep a list of ideas there. I have around 100 topic ideas on there. I try to add 5-10 more each time I take one off.

 

[Cory]

I have around 100 topic ideas on there. I try to add 5-10 more each time I take one off.

I always knew you were full of ideas, just not the extent.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I always knew you were full of ideas, just not the extent.

I have a certain method I use.

I look at each reply and try to create a new topic idea from it. So, if a thread gets 10 replies, I'll try to create 10 new topics from it.

I also use Google. I type in a keyword and then go to the people who also ask. Each time you click one open, you get more.

I also surf other forums like mine, filter the topics that have the most replies and then create one based on that topic but with my own twist and often controversial.

 

[InMyOpinion]

Great question! At my forum that isn't currently open to the public, inspiration comes from everywhere—industry trends, real-life experiences, and even casual conversations. To keep things organized, we use a mix of methods:


Dedicated Idea Folder – A place to drop quick thoughts, event concepts, and future discussion topics.
Bookmark Collection – We save insightful articles, industry updates, and inspiring visuals to reference later.
Google Docs & Notepad – Perfect for jotting down quick ideas on the go or drafting more detailed content.
Community Feedback – Sometimes, the best inspiration comes straight from our members! Engaging with the community sparks fresh discussions and helps us tailor content to what people really want.


Keeping things dynamic is key, and a little organization makes it easier to turn creative sparks into engaging discussions

 

[Cpvr]

I always knew you were full of ideas, just not the extent.

I find quora and Reddit(askreddit) to be a good avenue to find new topic ideas when I’m lacking new content ideas.

There’s a lot of content that’s available on both platforms that can be spun and turned into your own threads. Some of them are even great for discussions.

I also keep notes where I have a lot of topics that I save for a rainy day when I’m experiencing a writer’s block of some sort.